“I am not my medication”

Project Description:

My anxiety has been with me my whole life, but I didn’t realize it until my senior year of high school. My anxiety has always had many forms, from being too scared to talk to my cousins when I was a kid at family reunions to being unable to write any words on a test because I thought everything that came out of my head was horrible and stupid.

During the college application process of my senior year, my anxiety was at its worst. I had trouble sleeping, which caused me to not be able to complete any tasks efficiently. I worried about everything. I couldn’t eat; I couldn’t enjoy anything, even TV. My father and sister both have anxiety so my mother knew that I had to go to the doctor. I was quickly diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and was prescribed Zoloft.

When I don’t sleep for more than one night, my anxiety takes me whole and affects my daily life. I have had two other horrible anxious episodes since the first one I had in high school, and each time I had to increase my prescription of Zoloft. I haven’t had an episode in over a year and a half. Though I have come close to having more, I have learned ways of coping with my anxiety and tips for falling asleep from my psychologist and school counselors.

I used to think I was alone and that I would always be cursed with anxiety. Now I know that my anxiety makes me who I am and it helps me to be successful at school, work, and in all aspects of my life.

I need Zoloft in order to cope with my anxiety. I take it with my over-the-counter allergy medicine every morning with a glass of orange juice. It’s a part of my daily routine. My medication might be necessary for me to go on with my daily life, but it does not own me.

I am not my medication. I am Corinne, a cat-loving feminist who loves blogging, theatre, and reading the news. I am me.